80’s bass tones

[Raskolnikov]

I’d like to discuss 80’s bass tones pls what are your favorites whom do you recommend & how to achieve them?

 

specifically I’d love to mimic Bakithi Kumalo’s sound from “Boy in the Bubble,” on Paul Simon’s Graceland 

[Raskolnikov]

 

[Russ]

23 hours ago, Raskolnikov said:

I’d like to discuss 80’s bass tones pls what are your favorites whom do you recommend & how to achieve them?

 

specifically I’d love to mimic Bakithi Kumalo’s sound from “Boy in the Bubble,” on Paul Simon’s Graceland 

Fretless. Bridge pickup. Lots and lots of compression. Midrange-heavy EQ, boost a lot around 800Hz-1kHz, cutting most of the bass and treble. Bakithi has a very particular touch on the bass though - he plays fairly hard, with high-ish action, and mostly plays over the end of the neck. I went to a bass clinic with him a few years back and got to see it up close (as well as the original old Washburn bass he used on those sessions). 

 

Same applies to a lot of 80s bass tones - very prominent and punchy, but not actually all that much low end. That was often left to the synths and the Simmons/808 bass drum. 

Edited 9 hours ago by Russ

[Stub Mandrel]

My favourite 1980s bass tone:

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Pegg, Fender precision. 

 

Edited yesterday at 14:21 by Stub Mandrel

[Bagman]

chorus or flanger effects were very popular in the 1980's 

 

also roundwound strings 

[Elfrasho]

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

 

[Shaggy]

1 hour ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

 

 

 

Saw them live around 1980 - superb  

 

Back to the OP, I know Mick Karn and Pino are the obvious contenders, but my favourite has always been Barry Adamson's bass tone and playing with Magazine.   Ovation Magnum 1 with aforementioned chorus and compression.  

 

 

 

[ezbass]

Mick Karn, Pino, Alan Spenner on Roxy’s Flesh & Blood, John Giblin, Geddy, Derek Forbes.

Edited 3 hours ago by ezbass

[Lozz196]

John Taylor - boost those mids

Deon Estus - Jazz Bass 

 

[Hellzero]

Lemmy's unique tone, dating back to the 70's, but so representative of the 80's hard rock scene.

[Beedster]

3 hours ago, Shaggy said:

 

 

Saw them live around 1980 - superb  

 

Back to the OP, I know Mick Karn and Pino are the obvious contenders, but my favourite has always been Barry Adamson's bass tone and playing with Magazine.   Ovation Magnum 1 with aforementioned chorus and compression.  

 

 

 

….and often mistaken for fretless, testimony to his lovely fluid playing